knockabout
adjective
knock·about
ˈnäk-ə-ˌbau̇t 
1
: suitable for rough use
knockabout clothing
2
a
: being noisy and rough : boisterous
knockabout games
b
: characterized by boisterous antics and often extravagant burlesque
knockabout comedy
3
of a sailing vessel
: having a simplified rig marked by absence of bowsprit and topmast
a knockabout sloop
knockabout
noun
Examples of knockabout in a Sentence
He lived a knockabout life in the city.
a knockabout game of football in the mud
Recent Examples on the Web
Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.
—
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Knockabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knockabout. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
knockabout
adjective
knock·about
ˈnäk-ə-ˌbau̇t
: being noisy and rough : boisterous
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share